Airline says 1 missing after Pacific lagoon plane crash

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The airline operating a flight that crashed into a Pacific lagoon in Micronesia on Friday now says one man is missing, after earlier saying all 47 passengers and crew had safely evacuated the sinking plane.

Air Niugini said in a statement that as of Saturday afternoon, it was unable to account for a male passenger. The airline said it was working with local authorities, hospitals and investigators to try to find the man.

The airline did not immediately respond to requests for more details about the passenger, such as his age or nationality.

The airline said in another statement later Saturday that U.S. divers had completed an inspection inside the aircraft and confirmed that all of the passengers had safely evacuated.

“This has been confirmed by other passengers that the unaccounted person had safely evacuated the aircraft and he was seen in one of the local dinghies that were assisting with transporting the passengers and crew to the shore,” the statement said. “Local authorities and the airline are continuing to investigate the location of the unaccounted passenger.”

Local boats helped rescue the other passengers and crew after the plane hit the water while trying to land at the Chuuk Island airport.

What caused the crash and the exact sequence of events remains unclear.